Never Feel Tired Again

Your Guide to Never Feeling Tired Again
22 ways to tackle life's biggest energy zappers.
by Nancy Rones (ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY REDBOOK MAGAZINE)(http://redbook.ivillage.com/health/0,,b7l8p0dg,00.html)

Every day, 2.2 million Americans complain of being tired. Most of us chalk it up to having too much to do and not enough time to do it in, especially during extra-busy periods. But often the true culprits are our everyday habits: what we eat, how we sleep, and how we cope emotionally. Read on for some simple, recharging changes that can help you tackle all of the energy stealers in your life.Energize Your DietWhy is it that filling up on pasta or Chinese food for lunch leaves us snack-y and sleepy an hour later? Or that falling short on fluids makes us forgetful and foggy? Fact is, eating habits play a powerful role in how well we function on every level. Below, six top fatigue-fighting nutrition strategies to chew on.

1. Have breakfast... even if you don't feel hungry. You'll be a lot perkier: Studies show that people who eat breakfast feel better both mentally and physically than those who skip their morning meal.

2. Eat every three to four hours. Having three smallish meals and two snacks throughout the day can keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable all day long....

3. Fill up on more fiber. Fiber has a time-releasing effect on carbs, so they enter your bloodstream at a slow and steady pace, giving your energy staying power....

4. Fuel your brain with omega-3s. Found in fatty fish (such as tuna and salmon), walnuts, and canola oil, these essential fatty acids play a role in keeping brain cells healthy and helping you feel mentally alert.

5. Stay hydrated. Water makes up the majority of your blood and other body fluids, and even mild dehydration can cause blood to thicken, forcing the heart to pump harder to carry blood to your cells and organs and resulting in fatigue.

6. Watch caffeine intake after noon. When caffeine is consumed in large quantities — or any time in the afternoon or evening — the quality of your sleep that night can take a nosedive, leaving you with heavy eyelids the next day.

7. Splash some water on your face or take a shower when you're feeling burned-out. A little H2O refresher can instantly help take the edge off when you're feeling overwhelmed.

8. Suit up in a "power" outfit to beat the blahs. Fight the tendency to throw on sweats when you're feeling sluggish.

9. Vent your feelings. Discussing negative feelings with another person can ease them far better than keeping them bottled up; by airing them, you reduce their ability to sap your stamina.

10. Turn on some tunes. Listening to music is one of the most effective ways to change a bad mood, decrease tension, and increase energy.

11. Let go of grudges. Practicing empathy and forgiveness after you've been wronged makes you feel as if you're back in control, which keeps the body's stress responses in check.

12. Take belly breaths. When we're under stress, we're prone to take "chest breaths" — short, shallow ones...The goal is deep, diaphragmatic breathing — like that of a sleeping infant.

13. De-clutter a corner. Go through that teetering pile of papers or overflowing closet and clear it out. Clutter can make you feel out of control and overwhelmed, especially when you're already feeling stressed or down.

14. Do some good. Volunteer work can boost your energy in six ways: It enhances happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life, physical health, and mood.

15. Cut back on TV and computer time after 8 p.m. The bright light emitted from television and computer screens can make falling asleep at a decent hour even harder. The reason: Light suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone secreted at sunset that tells the brain that it's nighttime...

16. Hide your alarm clock. Watching the clock to see how long it's taking you to drift off or how much time you have left before your alarm goes off can result in a poor night's sleep.

17. Give your pet his own separate sleeping space. 53 percent of pet owners who sleep with their pets in the bedroom have some type of disrupted sleep every night.

18. Lower the thermostat. This ensures that your environment is in sync with your body's internal temperature, which naturally drops during the night.

19. Skip the nightcap. Alcohol has also been shown to interfere with the body's natural 24-hour biorhythms, causing blood pressure to rise and heart rate to race at night when it's normally calm and relaxed.

20. Get your exercise. While scientists don't yet understand why, aerobic exercise has been proved to help you fall asleep faster at bedtime, spend more hours in deep sleep, and wake up less often throughout the night.

21. Follow the 15-minute rule. If you can't fall asleep, or if you wake up and can't get back to sleep within about 15 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing that will help clear your head, such as reading, meditating, or knitting (but not watching TV or surfing the Web).

22. Write down your worries. Jot down any stressors that are weighing on you, says Carden. Then, do some mental problem-solving before your head hits the pillow. Just knowing you've established a plan for tackling your to-do's will make you feel like you've made some progress, allowing you to relax, drift off .

READ THE FULL REDBOOK ARTICLE AT http://redbook.ivillage.com/health/0,,b7l8p0dg,00.html